Whenever you are purchasing a new smartphone or smartwatch, you must have come across terms like IP68 rating or IPX8 rating, etc., wondering what it could signify, and what are the perimeters for a device to achieve this rating. In this article, we will be focusing specifically on the IPX8 waterproof rating, which is the highest level of water protection available for consumer electronics. We will explain what IPX8 means, and what are some of the best phones with IPX8 or IP68 certification.
What is IPX8 Waterproof Rating?
Now, before we start with IPX8, let’s first understand what is IP rating altogether. The IP is an acronym for Ingress Protection, it is the standardized certification for an electronic device’s protection against solid and liquid damage. The way name codes are written is very simple to understand, if you see the below images the IP stands for Ingress Protection as mentioned earlier while the next digit is for the level of rating against solid follow by the subsequent digit for liquid protection. Additionally, sometimes it also has a third number indicating optional supplementary protection, e.g., pressure.
As of now, IPX8 is the highest level of rating for a device in the water resistance category. In this certification, the X denotes no protection hence there’s no protection against dust or dirt, while the successive digit ‘8‘ indicates protection again water. In order to get this 8 rating, a device should be able to withstand protection against water while being immersed in water to a depth of 1.5 meters for at least 30 minutes.
Taking IP68 as another example, here ‘6’ stands for the level 6 dust resistance while the next digit ‘8’ represent the level 8 water resistivity. combined both, this is currently the highest level of overall protection a mainstream smartphone can have.
Best Phones with IP8 or IPX8 Certification
Though there are phones with IPX8 like Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 or Fold 5, you can also get dust protection as well with phones having IP68 certification. Here’s the list of the best Phones with IP8 as well as IP68 certification.
Note -While there isn’t a truly waterproof smartphone, all the devices mentioned waterproof are actually water-resistant, sometimes the terms are interchanging used.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 – IPX8
The Z flip is one of the best Flip phones out there on the market. As Samsung mentions, this device has IPX8 waterproof rating, making it comfortable with submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Speaking of its specs, Z Flip 5 uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and is powered by a 3,700mAh battery with 25W fast charging, wireless charging, and Wireless reverse charging abilities. Furthermore, the cover screen also known as the ”Flex screen” is a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 720 × 748 pixels, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 while the Main Display is 6.7” inch 2640 × 1080 (FHD+) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display panel with max refresh rate of 120 HZ. Additionally, featuring a decent camera setup with is similar to its predecessor Z Flip 4 except for the front camera.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – IPX8
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is rated with IPX8 officially, being a foldable phone this feature is something surprising considering the display foldable phones are relatively new technology. The Fold 5 is IPX8 certified with survivability of up to 3o minutes while submerged in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater. Hence, rain, water splash, and spills aren’t stopping your work. Getting to its features and specifications, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and a dual battery system with a 4,400mAh combo with 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. In terms of display, the foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel has a 7.6-inch 2176 × 1812 resolution 120 Hz display, while the cover screen is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.2-inch 120Hz panel and a decent camera setup.
iPhone 14 series – IP68
The newest iPhone available, the iPhone 14 series, are all around the best if you consider using it in a wet environment. According to Apple, it is IP68 certified, making it capable of surviving a max of 20 feet (6.1 m) for 30 minutes. Hence, taking it to swimming pools or a bit of photography with those best-in-class cameras on the beach should not be an issue. Additionally, the Pro and Pro Max models also can get you features like the dynamic island and always on display if you upgrade from the base iPhone 14.
Google Pixel 7 – IP68
The Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are no guests in the Best Android Phone category. According to Google, the Pixel 7 and Pro, are “Designed to comply with dust and water protection rating IP68 under IEC standard 60529”. Although Google does not specify the depth details. But considering its rating, it can handle depths of up to a meter for 30 minutes. The cameras of this series are the highlight of these devices, not to forget Google’s additional pixel-exclusive features you get. If you are looking for something like the Samsung S23 series but at a bit lower price, this is the series to be considered.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series – IP68
While launched in the same year as the fold and flip 5 series, unlike them having IPX8 waterproof rating, the S23 series are IP68 dust and water-resistant. Giving you more protection and durability. Though, it lacks a bit behind iPhone as it is only rated to survive up to 1.5 meters (3.2 feet) of water for an utmost of 30 minutes. Nevertheless, one of the best Android device out there, considering the rest advantage you are immense like the 6.8-inch 3088 × 1400 pixels QHD OLED Display capable of 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 1750 nits running on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Galaxy chipset.
iPhone 13 series – IP68
The iPhone 13 is considered to be among the best-performance phones on the market, though being launched 2 years back. The iPhone 13 series phones have the rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 which can handle water immersion up to a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes. This includes iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, and Pro Max.
It is interesting to note this IP rating is the same as the newer iPhone 14 series. Hence, considering its powerful Apple A15 processor and amazing camera, iPhone 13 is still far ahead in terms of features and performance better than some newer Android phones, and considering the price in comprise to the newer iPhone 14, this is definitely a value for money.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that these ratings are tested for freshwater only, while phones like iPhones do mention other liquid damages. And that’s everything you need to know about what is IPX8 waterproof rating, how devices are certified with it, and the list of best phones with this certification. You can also check other articles like How to Fix Water-Damaged iPhones or learn whether AirTag works underwater.